Tennis has Roger Federer, basketball has Michael Jordan and athletics has Usain Bolt. Most sports have a definitive GOAT, but when it comes to football, it's entirely subjective.
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Maradona and Pele are the usual suspects when it comes to football's greatest and each can make a compelling argument.
It's all a matter of opinion, of course. Messi is widely regarded as the most gifted player of all time but not winning a major international tournament with Argentina brings him down.
As for Ronaldo, very few compare to the Portuguese as an out-and-out goalscorer but he's not as complete as Messi.
And when it comes to Maradona and Pele, the legendary duo both won the World Cup during their careers with Argentina and Brazil respectively.
Ask Dimitar Berbatov who the GOAT is, though, and he won't hesitate in saying it's Messi, despite once playing alongside Ronaldo for Manchester United.
Asked why Messi made the difference during the 2008/09 Champions League final recently, Berbatov said: "Because he's the f***ing greatest.
"Ronaldo is brilliant, Messi more my kind of player. He sees the game so clearly. He can score, create, he's the complete player, the best ever probably.
"If you ask someone older than me they will say Pele, Maradona or Puskas or [Alfredo] Di Stefano. But for my generation it's Messi or Ronaldo.
"They're pretty much even, but something with Messi makes me shout 'Messi! Messi!' when I watch Barcelona on television."
Berbatov prefers Messi to Ronaldo for his playing style, which involves being a playmaker one minute and taking on the entire defence the next.
Regardless of whether or not the 30-year-old is football's greatest ever player, no one compares when it comes to dribbling and close control.
Various videos have emerged over the years of Messi single-handedly destroying entire teams and showing why he's the GOAT, but a new one has surfaced and it's arguably the best yet.
No matter how many players separate Messi from the goal, he always manages to create goalscoring opportunities for himself or his teammates. Check it out.
MAGICAL MESSI
Magical Messi indeed. This is what separates the Argentine from the rest - his ability to drop deep and dictate play.
No other player in the history of football is as good as Messi when it comes to transitioning from a deadly striker to a creative midfielder in a matter of seconds, which is what makes him so special.